With the first session of the 113th Congress more than midway through its term, I thought it would be useful to reflect on the year to date. In many respects, the 113th Congress began much like the 112th concluded: with members of Congress from both parties frustrated by the lack of progress on key initiatives.…
With America’s arts community eager to see whom the president will nominate to lead the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), I thought it might be instructive to give you an overview of what the confirmation process entails. The process begins with President Obama formally submitting his choice to the Senate. Because the chairmanship of…
Congress is currently in the midst of a two-week recess for the Easter and Passover holidays. When they return on April 8, both the House and Senate are expected begin working almost immediately on the fiscal year 2014 budget, which has already been delayed for several months as Congress tried unsuccessfully to prevent sequestration and…
On the evening of March 1, President Barack Obama issued an order triggering the $85 billion spending reduction known as sequestration. The order, which was legally required under the Budget Control Act of 2011, is the first installment of a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction measure that must be undertaken over the next nine years under…
Last month, I wrote about Congress’s decision to delay for 60 days the across-the-board reductions in federal spending, known as sequestration, that were set to occur on January 2. At the time, I had hoped that when I wrote to you again, we would have a clearer picture of what Congress planned to do about…
On April 10, President Obama submitted his fiscal year 2014 budget recommendations to Congress. For the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the administration proposes $154.5 million in funding. This figure represents an increase of almost $9 million above the FY2013 funding level. This amount is even more significant when one considers sequestration, which reduced…
On January 1 and 2, a series of tax and policy changes was set to occur that was so potentially devastating to the economy that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke dubbed it the “fiscal cliff.” Following several weeks of tense negotiations, the House of Representatives voted on January 1 to pass legislation that averts tax…
With the election cycle finally behind us, I thought it would be instructive to offer an overview of the many policy and political considerations NASAA is monitoring as we head into a new year. As always, please feel free to call me directly at 202-939-7906 to discuss any of these issues in more detail. The…
Only a week remains until Election Day 2012! Like many of you, I am filled with a range of emotions including apprehension, curiosity and mainly relief. This has been without question one of the longest—and nastiest—campaign seasons in recent years. The good news, however, is that it will all be over soon and Washington can…
With Congress adjourned for the summer and not set to return until September 9, this is an excellent time to give you an update on several legislative policy issues impacting the arts. Fiscal Year 2013 Appropriations As we approach the end of the fiscal year on September 30, Congress has been unable to advance legislation…
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